Cricket fielding positions sound like a foreign language to newcomers — silly point, fly slip, cow corner, deep backward square leg. But every position exists because of a specific batting shot or bowling plan. Once you understand the why behind each name, the field placements you see on TV start making sense — and your own captaincy decisions get sharper. This guide walks through every fielding position used in club and professional cricket, where it stands, and when captains use it.
The Off-Side Close Catchers
Slip fielders stand next to the wicketkeeper, on the off-side, catching edges from the bat. First slip stands closest to the keeper, second slip wider, third slip wider still. Most club teams use first slip only; international Test sides set 2-4 slips for fast bowlers with a new ball.
Gully stands square of the wicket on the off-side, about 5-7 yards behind the popping crease. He catches the thick edge or the cut shot that flies square — common against bowlers who get extra bounce.
Inner Off-Side Ring
Point stands square on the off-side, 20-25 yards from the bat. He stops the cut shot and the back-foot drive.
Cover stands 30 degrees in front of square on the off-side. He stops the cover drive — one of the most common attacking shots in cricket.
Extra cover is 10 degrees straighter than cover, between cover and mid-off. Used when the captain wants to choke off the area between cover and the straight bat.
The Straight Field
Mid-off stands 30-40 yards down the pitch on the off-side, in front of the bowler's umpire. He stops the straight drive on the off-side.
Mid-on is the mirror — straight drive stopper on the leg-side, between the bowler and square-leg.
Long-off and long-on are the boundary versions, used for set batsmen who clear the inner ring.
Inner Leg-Side Ring
Mid-wicket stands 30 degrees behind square on the leg-side, 25-30 yards out. He stops the on-drive and the flick off the pads.
Square leg stands square of the wicket on the leg-side, 20-25 yards out. He stops the pull shot and the sweep.
Short fine leg stands behind square on the leg-side, just inside the circle. He catches the leg glance and the top-edged pull.
Behind-the-Wicket Positions
Fine leg stands deep behind square on the leg-side, near the boundary. He's the primary boundary fielder for the leg glance, the hook, and the top-edged pull.
Third man mirrors fine leg on the off-side, deep behind point. He catches the edge that beats slips and runs to the boundary, and stops the upper-cut over the keeper.
Attacking Catching Positions
Silly point stands 5-7 yards from the bat on the off-side, square. Used for spin bowlers to catch the bat-pad off the defensive prod.
Short leg stands the same distance on the leg-side. Same purpose — catching the bat-pad off a defensive shot to a spinner.
Leg slip stands behind square on the leg-side, like a mirror of first slip. Used against batsmen who deflect off the pads, often when the ball is reversing.
Deep / Boundary Positions
Deep cover and deep mid-wicket are the standard boundary fielders for set batsmen. They stop the lofted drive over the inner ring.
Long-on and long-off cover the straight boundary for the slog over the bowler's head.
Cow corner sits at deep mid-wicket-ish but slightly squarer — the position where club batsmen hit their slog-sweeps. The name comes from how rare a fielder used to stand there in early Test cricket — only the cows did.
How Field Settings Change Between Formats
In Tests, captains set 4-6 close catchers with the new ball and only spread the field after 25-30 overs. Wickets matter more than runs.
In ODIs and T20s, only 2 fielders are allowed outside the inner ring during the powerplay (5-6 overs). After that, 5 boundary riders are standard.
In club cricket, the rule depends on the format. Most league matches use ODI-style powerplay rules. Always check with your captain and umpires before the first ball.
Knowing fielding position names isn't just for captains — every batsman who can read a field setting in 5 seconds plays smarter cricket. The next time you walk out to bat, scan the field before taking guard: count slip catchers, look for the deep mid-wicket, check if there's a third-man. The captain has just told you exactly which shots he's trying to stop and which areas he's leaving open. Your job as a batsman is to exploit the gaps; your job as a fielder is to plug them. Either way, the field is a conversation — and now you speak the language.
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Written by
CricketCore Editorial
Cricket Coach & Content Writer
Arjun is a former age-group cricketer turned coach who writes CricketCore's technical guides. Every article is reviewed for technical accuracy before publishing.
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